As our busy Summer continued, we only had 4 days before our next house guest arrived in mid-August. Just enough time to get the house clean and the sheets changed before our friend Alanna, from Florida arrived for a 12 day visit. This was her first trip to Scotland, but she had been working, living and traveling all over Europe for the past year. (You may remember us visiting her last year in Prague.)
We started the day out with a walk downtown, finding some local friends in kilts, and ending it with a great night of tapas and drinks at La Barca.
The next day we set out for a road trip to Stirling Castle and The Falkirk Wheel.
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It opened in 2002, reconnecting the two canals for the first time since the 1930's. The wheel raises boats up 79 feet, then they must pass through a pair of locks rising up another 36 ft to the Union Canal. The two canals now being served by the wheel were previously connected by a series of 11 locks. The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world, and one of two working boat lifts in the United Kingdom.
The boat ride up to the top of the wheel and return was about an hour long. It was very interesting to see this unique structure and experience it firsthand in motion.
We spent the next day enjoying the sunshine in Helensburgh.
(Some of us were enjoying sunshine, while others were all bundled up.)
The next day we hopped the train to Edinburgh to visit the castle and take in a bit of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe is the world's largest arts festival showcase for the performing arts. It was first started in 1947 and now host over 300 shows every year during the month of August.
The next day we headed to Dumbarton Castle, stopping at the Ardardan Farm along the way to see the Highland Coo's.
We got a special greeting from this fellow.
Enough playing with the Coos, now it's time to hike up the hill up to Dumbarton Castle.
(yes, that hill.)
After taking a day off for some much needed rest, we set sail the following day for our next adventure. We booked a trip on The Waverley Paddle Steamer. If you follow our blog you might remember that we took a cruise on this last summer as well. (Waverley 2014 Blog)
Built in 1946, The Waverley is the last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer in the world.
We set sail from the Helensburgh pier and cruised to the town of Millport, on the island of Great Cumbrae.
We enjoyed a leisurely day exploring the sights, browsing the shops and we had a nice lunch and some cocktails before heading back to the pier. At the pier we were entertained by a pipe band while we waited for the Waverley to return.
We took a cruise on Loch Ness with a stop at Urquhart Castle.
The ruins of Urquhart Castle date from the 13th to the 16th centuries and was built on the site of an early medieval fortification.
Of course we had to go to The Loch Ness Brewery to sample the local beer.
The next day we headed down the east side of Loch Ness, stopping for some pictures in Dores. We were told by the locals that this was the best place for pictures of Loch Ness. The view down the loch was amazing and we were not disappointed.
Our next stop was on South Loch Ness for a short hike to see the Falls of Foyers. The River Foyers drops 140 feet in to the gorge known as the Falls of Foyers, and then runs into Loch Ness.
Robert Burns was inspired to write a poem about the falls in 1787.
We hit the road to head back home, stopping for a few photo opportunities along the way.
It was now time to relax for a few days and get ready for our upcoming trips. Alanna was heading to Northern Ireland and Ireland, before heading back to the States, and we were heading off for a European train hopping trip.
It was a fun-filled busy few weeks filled with lots of new Scottish adventures for all of us. We hope that we made it one of her favorite places she has visited in all of her travels and that she comes back for another visit soon.
Be sure not to miss our next blog about our travels through Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Austria and Germany, it was an amazing trip and we can't wait to share it with you!
Cheers and much love,
John and CJ
It was now time to relax for a few days and get ready for our upcoming trips. Alanna was heading to Northern Ireland and Ireland, before heading back to the States, and we were heading off for a European train hopping trip.
It was a fun-filled busy few weeks filled with lots of new Scottish adventures for all of us. We hope that we made it one of her favorite places she has visited in all of her travels and that she comes back for another visit soon.
Be sure not to miss our next blog about our travels through Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Austria and Germany, it was an amazing trip and we can't wait to share it with you!
Cheers and much love,
John and CJ
No comments:
Post a Comment